Azmaria, Briefly
by The Girl is Silver
Summary: 100-word drabbles about the Apostle of Charity. Based off of the anime, as I have never read the manga; most of these stories will tie into the larger framework of a multi-chapter Azmaria-centric story I'm working on. Apologies in advance, but there is no chronological order. Rated T for content of future installments.
1. Vacation

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

1\. Vacation

On the anniversary of their deaths, she wears the timepiece around her neck. It's a symbolic gesture, keeping them near her heart, and especially important to her this year, since she's across the country, visiting San Francisco.

Not in any official capacity; she retired from the Magdalene Order after twenty-five years of service, and is just a civilian now. All the same, it's done her well to see how the City by the Bay recovered from Aion's destruction. This is not the shambles she left behind as a little girl.

"I think you'd approve," she whispers to her friends, smiling.

* * *

Word count: 100

Note: Isn't it weird to realize that the Golden Gate Bridge didn't even exist during the events of _Chrono Crusade_?


	2. Last Name

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

2\. Last Name

Her last name is _Escovedo_. She repeats it over and over, letting the soft, slippery syllables roll off her tongue. She doesn't like his last name, or _him_, for that matter. He smells strange, like chemicals and sick, and his small grey eyes watch her with skin-crawling intensity.

The fact that he paid handsomely to legally adopt her is beside the point. So what if a piece of paper indicates she's now a Hendrick? They both know the truth. He's about as much a father to her as a fox is to a den of chickens.

He'll devour her whole.

* * *

Word count: 100

Note: I know Azmaria wasn't the focus of _Chrono Crusade_, but it did bother me that we know so little about her prior to Ricardo Hendrick (sic?) adopting her. I'd imagine that, at very least, she had a Portuguese surname.


	3. Not for Her

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

3\. Not for Her

When did this happen?

In dreams, she supposes. It's easy enough in slumber to lower inhibitions, for who else would know? That is where seeds of wanting took root, nurtured by the heat of her blood, the quickening of her breath.

Now she lies in the perfumed bed of her desires, as thorny as it is beautiful.

Why? Why _him_? He isn't for her, with his solid lean body and long golden tresses. Definitely not, with those eyes full of knowing, and a mouth made for… words.

Yes, he has a way with words, in that voice.

_Not for her_.

* * *

Word count: 100

Note: Just to be absolutely crystal clear, _Azmaria is not a child in this drabble_. Don't come at me with pitchforks and torches, okay?


	4. Not in Kansas

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

4\. Not in Kansas

"Oh, come on! Dottie is a nice name!" Rosette exclaims.

"For a girl named _Dorothy_, maybe!" Azmaria shoots back, glaring.

"…Caught that, did you?" the older girl gives a lop-sided grin.

"You're not exactly subtle," the younger girl sniffs.

"Aw! You just remind me so much of little orphan Gale. All you need is a Toto, and I think Chrono could substitute nicely with his scruffy hair."

"Hey!" Chrono yelps in protest.

"Hush," Rosette scolds her companion.

"I _will not_ go by anything other than Azmaria!" she says firmly.

"Oh! What about _Oz_?" Rosette asks slyly.

"…Maybe," Azmaria concedes, smiling.

* * *

Word count: 100

Note: Again, this is my head-canon showing through. In the anime (with the original Japanese cast, not sure about the English dub), Rosette calls her "Azu." I just figured that, with the story taking place in the United States, Rosette would know about _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_ (the book, obviously, since the movie was released 11 years after her death).


	5. Left My Heart

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

5\. Left My Heart

"_Please_, Father Remington, I _can't_ go," she pleads, her voice cracking.

"Azmaria, it's not up to us anymore," he informs her quietly. "It's compulsory. Militia from the New York branch must report back to headquarters in one week's time. We've outstayed our welcome here as it is."

She stares at her hands, still scabbed and raw from the Ritual of Atonement, like the rest of her.

"But we're just leaving them behind, as if they don't matter," she whispers. "How will they feel about that?"

Father Remington gently lifts her chin up.

"Rosette and Chrono know where to find us."

* * *

Word count: 100

Note: I always wondered how Azmaria could have survived the atonement ritual without head-to-toe bruising.


	6. Rhythm

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

6\. Rhythm

Azmaria thinks of the musical troupe, sometimes. Laughing boisterously as they eat meals together; running and dancing and hopping gaily with the other children; and sharing songs before bedtime. It is definitely an idyllic life.

She remembers her auntie Lula—all the children are her "cousins," and all the men and women her "uncles" and "aunties"—beating a rhythm with the _adufe_, while her uncle Sebastiâo encourages her to sing Senhora do Almortão.

Even now, the lovely tune fills her with bittersweet emotion. It is the last time she performs with Papagaio Loiro; that night, Ricardo Hendrick sees her wings.

* * *

Word count: 100

Note: An _adufe_ is an instrument used in traditional Portuguese music. It is a double-sided thin square drum, hand-stitched, with a ribbon (often filled with seed) running around the perimeter to disguise the seams. In the pictures I've seen of _adufe_, they sometimes have what look like little bells or cymbals attached at the corners, too. It is traditionally an instrument played by women; it's held in both hands, and they tap the beat on one side of the drum.

You can look up Senhora do Almortão on YouTube. It is a traditional Portuguese tune; some versions I've listened to have the _adufe_ accompanying the vocals. (While I know that "senhora" is "lady" and "do" is "of," I honestly can't tell you if Almortão is a place or a term. Maybe it's "Lady of Our Sorrows"? I tried translation tools, but came up with nothing.)

Finally, Papagaio Loiro translates to "Blond Parrot," which is a traditional children's Portuguese song about a golden parrot delivering a letter to a beloved boy. (I found translated lyrics online.) It just amused me, because for people (like me) who don't know Portuguese, it's a gorgeous term.


	7. Family

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

7\. Family

"Who was she?" Joshua asks abruptly.

"I'm sorry?" She's reading the rough draft of his next novel, a tale of angels and demons converging in a fabled city for domination of the worlds. He's a vivid writer, and pulling out of the story gives her a pang. "Who was who?"

"My sister; who was she?"

Azmaria's eyes widen. He's never asked about Rosette before; never shown an interest. "Why, Joss?"

He looks lost. "Because you loved her, Pip, and I love you, and I think you've wanted to tell me for a while."

She gives a wobbly smile. "I have."

* * *

Word count: 100

Note: In my head-canon, Joshua goes by _Joss_ in order to create a little separation between the boy Rosette searched for and the young man he's become. Joshua refers to Azmaria as _Pip_ because, in the 1930s, it's slang for a pretty girl.


	8. Patience

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

8\. Patience

Azmaria hides in her wardrobe, scarcely daring to breathe as Sisters Kate and Anna enter her room.

"There's something _wrong_ with that child," Sister Anna exclaims, her voice thin with frustration.

"Calm down, my dear," the older nun soothes. Azmaria imagines her saying this while adjusting her bifocals. "I'm sure she'll apologize in due course."

"Why are you coddling her?" the younger nun demands in a waspish sneer.

"Watch your tone."

Sister Anna exhales audibly. "I'm sorry," she replies. "I just don't know what to do for her."

"Well, you can be _patient_, for a start," Sister Kate observes, dryly.

* * *

Word count: 100

Note: I imagine this scene occurs sometime in the weeks after returning to the New York headquarters of the Magdalene Order. Maybe Azmaria mouthed off about the food. Maybe she stole a book from the library, or kicked a statue, or uprooted flowers in the garden. The point is, given everything she's endured in her 12 years, I'm sure misbehaving is bound to happen.


	9. Everything Good

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

9\. Everything Good

She knows she's dreaming, because her mother has been dead for nine years. Yet there she stands, in a sundress, her chestnut-brown hair a tumble over her pale shoulders. "_Filha da minha álma_," she murmurs, smiling. "_Que alegría!_"

Azmaria stands rooted, unable to speak, afraid to blink lest this vision crumbles like dust between the flutter of her lids.

Her mother has no such compunctions. The brunette approaches and wraps her in a fierce hug. She smells like sandalwood. Azmaria's eyes blur.

"_Dezéjo-vos tódo o bem_," her mother whispers softly, kissing her.

Rosette and Chrono rescue her later that evening. 

* * *

Word Count: 100

Note: I did not rely on Google Translate for the Portuguese phrases; however, the phrasebooks I referenced (through Google) _are_ from the 19th-century. So, the grammar still might be off, in the same way that modern English speakers don't talk like characters in Austen or Dickens novels. Eheheh... Anyway, translations are below.

_Filha da minha álma_: My little honey (from the use of _filha_, this pertains to a child)

_Que alegría!_: What joy!

_Dezéjo-vos tódo o bem_: I wish you everything good


	10. Snag

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

10\. Snag

"Oz, _liebchen_, what's wrong?" Satella queries softly, sitting next to her on the bed.

Azmaria looks at the lovely young woman, with her shadowed eyes and strained features; she feels stupid for her pettiness. "It's… my hair," she mumbles, gesturing with the comb. "There's a snag in the back, and I can't get it out. I don't know why I'm upset over it."

Satella hums, holding her hand out for the comb, which Azmaria gives to her. "As a fellow long-haired lady, I commiserate," she says, scooping up the heavy mass of pale locks and gently working out the knots.

* * *

Word count: 100

Note: "Liebchen" is an old-fashioned German term for "sweetheart." The "-chen" suffix is a diminutive.

If you've ever had long hair, like waist-length or longer hair, then I know you feel Azmaria's pain! I had hip-length (naturally curly) hair for about three years, and I loved it dearly, but the maintenance drove me _wild_.


	11. Help

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

11\. Help

"Azmaria, stop," Sister Claire admonishes.

She pushes the older girl's hands away. "Aion still has her. I can't stop," she rejoins, her mouth pressed in a thin line as she attempts to walk unassisted. Her traitorous legs wobble.

"Before we can find Rosette, we have to help Chrono," Father Remington says quietly, standing at the threshold of her room.

Azmaria stares at her visitor as his words sink in, ice forming in the pit of her stomach. "What do you mean?"

"Can you still heal with song?" he asks instead, his expression inscrutable.

_Not anymore._ "I'll try," she answers steadily.

* * *

Word count: 100

Note: Again, I marvel that Azmaria convalesced so quickly after the atonement ritual. Sorry, but if you had volts and volts of energy coursing through your body, I doubt you'd feel chipper after a day's (or a week's) sleep. I'm going with, "Azmaria has sweet, sweet adrenaline in her veins, keeping her spry."


	12. One More

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

12\. One More

Azmaria rarely drinks; however, when she does, it's in the company of someone she trusts. She's about an hour into her cups, and deeply relaxed, even if her mind won't stop working.

"I'm drunk," she informs Kate, who is no longer with the Sisterhood.

"And shockingly laconic," Kate replies, topping off her shot glass with whisky.

Azmaria tips it back and grimaces as it burns down her throat. "That stuff's like the devil's piss," she comments sourly.

"Colorful," Kate drawls, leaning back into the couch cushion. "So, ready to talk yet?"

_I'd rather not_. She sighs. "Maybe one more round?"

* * *

Word Count: 100

Note: Given all the supernatural things Azmaria surely encounters during her time as an Exorcist in the Order, I bet she has plenty of reason to drink once in a while. In my head-canon, she's about 34-years-old here and things have been far too interesting for her liking.


	13. Recoil

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

13\. Recoil

"Rosette made this look easy," Azmaria murmurs, her arms and wrists aching as she stares at her target sheet. They use shell casings for practice, but precious few pierce the paper upon which she fired.

"Rosette was reckless," Elder Hamilton remarks dryly. "Did you never see the way that girl emptied her rounds?"

"I… didn't think the recoil would be this bad," Azmaria offers by way of explanation.

"Oh, _that_," he says, nodding sympathetically. "Yeah, you're gonna hurt until you learn to grip the weapon properly."

"I thought you just pulled the trigger."

Elder Hamilton snorts. "It's _never_ that easy."

* * *

Word count: 100

Note: Don't have anything to add, really; there's a metaphor somewhere in this drabble...


	14. Connection

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

14\. Connection

She's quite certain this is what dying feels like.

The pain is indescribable; Azmaria knows she's screaming, because of her emptying lungs and vibrating throat, but she can't hear anything, or see anything. Nothing _externally_, anyway; inside her mind's eye, two stories unfold. One features the apostolic children—their names, homes, languages, abilities, and curses—while the other focuses on Aion.

She tries to remember the other children's names (_forgive me, I wish I knew you all better_), but concentrates on the demon's tale. Azmaria wonders if he can sense her the same way through this connection.

She hopes not.

* * *

Word count: 100

Note: The other apostles never had a chance. I'd like to think something of them survived.


	15. Birthday

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

15\. Birthday

In celebration of Azmaria's twenty-first birthday, Sister Winifred takes her evening patrol. A handful of close friends treat her to dinner at an upscale club.

She wears the cobalt-blue chiffon gown Kate bought her, as well as some borrowed costume jewelry and heels. With her hair in an elaborate coiffure, her mouth slicked with rouge, and some liquid courage warm in her belly, she approaches him.

"Care to dance with me?" she asks Ewan.

He raises a brow. "Shouldn't you ask Joss?"

"If I wanted Joss, then I would have," she replies, unaware of her slip.

Ewan's lips part. "Okay."

* * *

Word count: 100

Note: She really should have said, "If I wanted _to dance with_ Joss," but, alas...

Hey, if Rosette can dress up in some risque numbers in the name of patrolling, then Azmaria can play dress-up for her birthday. I have a lot of head-canon stuff going on here, but more of that will be addressed in the big story.


	16. Age

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

16\. Age

"Chrono, how old are you?"

Azmaria's violet-eyed companion looks askance at her question. Chewing his lip in contemplation, Chrono finally admits, "I'm not sure."

This revelation intrigues her. "Are demons made fully grown or something?"

"No; Aion and I were little, once. It's just…" He trails off, shaking his head.

"Just what?" she prompts gently, after Chrono makes no effort to continue.

Awkwardly, he says, "We drifted between planes of existence before Aion set about trying to change our nature. Time flowed differently for us; I could be twenty, or twenty thousand. I really don't know."

She blinks, stunned. "Oh."

* * *

Word count: 100

Note: Maybe Chrono's "only" five hundred years old. (Yeah, no, that doesn't sound any less awe-inspiring. Still a lot longer than I'll be around!)


	17. Gratitude

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

17\. Gratitude

"I never did thank you," Azmaria says abruptly.

Ewan frowns. "For what?" he asks, his blue eyes puzzled.

She turns away with a soft huff. "The Ritual of Atonement," she elucidates, running her fingers over the marble robes of a Virgin Mary statue.

"Ah," he replies; an acknowledgement and verbal shrug. "I only did what I could." There's a scattering of bitter ashes in those words; she understands his guilt too well.

Looking him in the eye, Azmaria declares, "Five years ago, you saved my life. So, thank you."

Ewan smiles slowly; the breath catches in her throat. "You're welcome."

* * *

Word count: 100

Note: I bet you could never guess who my head-canon couple is, right?


	18. Talent

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

18\. Talent

She still loves Rosette, but she's accepted that her erstwhile friend did her job with much enthusiasm and little talent.

Whispering along the tattered wall of a long-abandoned gambling den, Azmaria feels the demon's presence beating against her senses like waves against the shore. Extending feelers outwards, she carefully pinpoints the location of her target. It's in the room straight down the hall; so far, she's gone undetected.

With a savage grin, Azmaria runs, barefooted, toward her hapless prey. Her knives, made of silver and blessed in holy water, are at the ready. She exorcises the unholy creature without fanfare.

* * *

Word count: 100

Note: I love Rosette immensely, but she sure destroyed a lot of buildings, ships, and cars along the way!

Also, I think Azmaria may have acquired some demon-sensitivity during the atonement ritual. After all, she recited the story about heaven, demons, and temptation after sharing that connection with Aion. It's not a stretch to think that the ritual might have opened up dormant spiritual abilities.


	19. Drive

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

19\. Drive

Azmaria can't stop laughing, though it's of the hysterical variety. _I'm gonna die_, she thinks giddily, as Rosette makes another wide turn around a sharp bend. The tires of the standard-issue jalopy skid on loose stones by the shoulder of the road, and they start spinning over the center line.

Rosette yelps.

Chrono swears.

Azmaria whoops.

Through the back window, she can see the yellow glow of headlights from oncoming traffic. _Yea, though I crash through the valley of the shadow of death_…

Just in time, Rosette disengages the clutch and manages to steer the vehicle in the right direction.

* * *

Word Count: 100

Note: Watching the show, I sometimes wonder how Rosette got away with driving as terribly as she does. However, I then think about headline news, and all the crazy drunk fools or texting addicts who kill other people or themselves while driving, and I think, at least Rosette didn't do _that_.


	20. Open Up

**Disclaimer**: _Chrono Crusade_ is the creation of Daisuke Moriyama and owned by lots of entities who are not affiliated with me in any way, shape, or form (sadly). I'm just borrowing his character(s) for a romp or twenty.

20\. Open Up

"Listen to me, Azmaria!"

She recognizes the voice; satiny, with threads of steel and copper woven in. It's hard to hear over the battering of rain against her umbrella, so she holds perfectly still.

"I know you've lost dear ones. So have I. I know you're afraid of your gifts. Don't be! I _promise_ I will protect you, but you have to _open_ _up_!" This last part ends on a strangled note.

_Is that_… "Rosette!" she cries, snapping out of her fugue.

Light incinerates the darkness. Azmaria still floats upon awakening, her luminous feathers swirling lazily above Rosette and Chrono.

* * *

Word count: 100

Note: Oh, gosh! I actually did a drabble directly based on an episode of the anime. It was inevitable.


End file.
